Council President, Rodney Wiltshire, center facing, questions John Tirino, center back, during a Troy City Council hearing on demolished city properties on Wednesday May 28, 2014 in Troy, N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union) less

Council President, Rodney Wiltshire, center facing, questions John Tirino, center back, during a Troy City Council hearing on demolished city properties on Wednesday May 28, 2014 in Troy, N.Y. (Michael P. ... more

Council President, Rodney Wiltshire, center, questions Don Botajian during a Troy City Council hearing on demolished city properties on Wednesday May 28, 2014 in Troy, N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)

Council President, Rodney Wiltshire, center, questions Don Botajian during a Troy City Council hearing on demolished city properties on Wednesday May 28, 2014 in Troy, N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)

Former Troy Mayor Harry Tutunjian, center, listens as property owner Don Botajian answers questions during a Troy City Council hearing on demolished city properties on Wednesday May 28, 2014 in Troy, N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union) less

Former Troy Mayor Harry Tutunjian, center, listens as property owner Don Botajian answers questions during a Troy City Council hearing on demolished city properties on Wednesday May 28, 2014 in Troy, N.Y. ... more

The King Street building the city ordered torn down in August 2013 under an emergency demolition order had been marked for demolition by both city code officers and its owner, who wanted to develop the parcel.

During the City Council's third hearing Wednesday night, Donald Boyajian, the owner of 4-6-8-10 King St., made it clear that the property was far beyond repair but that he could never get an answer from city officials on razing it.

"There's definitely a lot of miscommunication that goes on here in the city of Troy. A lot. That's the problem here," said Boyajian, a well-known and respected Capital Region attorney.

Boyajian said he wanted to get an order of condemnation from then-City Engineer Russ Reeves but had never been able to do so. He wanted the order, he said, so he could begin the demolition process when he went to the state Department of Labor to deal with the asbestos contamination at the building.

"I called the city engineer multiple times. I never got a call back," Boyajian said.

Testifying after Boyajian, former Mayor Harry Tutunjian said Boyajian wanted an emergency order to tear the King Street building down but that he wouldn't give it to him.

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Boyajian laughed out loud during Tutunjian's testimony when he spoke about King Street. He said he never asked for an emergency order.

"He clearly has an agenda," Boyajian said about Tutunjian, who's repeatedly mentioned as wanting to run for mayor again.

The City Council hearings are looking into the demolition work at King Street and the King Fuels site in South Troy, plus the operations of the city code enforcement department.

The FBI and other federal and state agencies are investigating these projects.

Boyajian recounted how he had never met Reeves or Fire Chief Thomas Garrett. He said he first talked to Garrett on Aug. 5, 2013, the day of the emergency demolition.

Boyajian hired M. Cristo Inc. from a city-approved list of demolition firms and spent $70,000 on the demolition work.

Council President Rodney Wiltshire said questioning at future hearings would concentrate on the events surrounding the King Street demolition.

Boyajian described meeting with city economic development representatives of both Mayor Lou Rosamilia and Tutunjian.